CONCORD, N.H. – The traits that helped Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee race to a second-place finish in the Iowa Straw Poll might be more of a drag with voters in New Hampshire.

Huckabee returned to the state Friday with an uptick in fundraising and fresh criticism aimed at his chief rivals.

The former Arkansas governor’s trip also carries a bevy of questions: Can he convince New Hampshire the straw poll results matter? Can the few religious voters in the state mobilize on his behalf? Can he scramble a state organization late in an already frenetic campaign cycle?

Huckabee, a former Baptist pastor and broadcast executive, has struggled to find support in New Hampshire, a state where economic issues overshadow social ones.

However, Huckabee had said he would not change his social-conservative message or biography to avoid scaring voters in New Hampshire. He planned a breakfast for clergy and remarks at an Auburn church, with both events closed to reporters.